Hastings Arms — Restaurant in Hastings

We popped in here on Sunday for a roast with some friends who had never been to Hastings before, so we wanted to show them the real Old Town charm. The Hastings Arms didn't let us down. A lovely cosy pub with super friendly staff really set the tone. Our reserved table was ready to go and we had drinks in hand in no time. I opted to get some whitebait as a starter, as being by the sea, it would be silly not to! It was tasty, and even my three year old loved the idea of eating whole fish!

Next up was the roast, and it was fantastic. I personally had the lamb and am very glad I didn't get the large. I can generally put away a roast of any size without too much trouble, but even the medium is a very generous serving size. The meat was delicious and not dry like a lot of lamb roasts can be, so that was great. A special mention goes to the gravy. Oh that gravy! So thick and full of flavour! All too often a pub gravy is a watery mess, but not this one. It was perfect!

All in all, I we loved it. The kids serving looked very much like our adult ones, just served in a big bowl, so that made us chuckle. Our friends loved Hastings so much that they opted not to visit Rye the next day and to mooch around old town some more.

Great tucker and I would strongly...

We came in as a group of 6. The waitress was lovely and did so well considering it was her 2nd shift. The food was awful. I ordered a salad, I have never had a dry salad; I asked for a dressing and the barman refused to give me a pot due to COVID. I said can you not pour it. He again declined, saying that there was none left. This was after repeating it was made fresh. To which I said well if it’s made fresh then there should be enough. Not good considering it was a Monday night.. My friends ordered burgers, they were dry and even a hair in the burger!! To be honest maccies burgers are fresher... Not once did we ask for a refund, the boss/owner came out was shouting and swearing at me. The chef then became defensive and said well we’ve sold 60 burgers (just because no ones complained doesnt mean they were bad) no ones complained so you’ve clearly made it up. Chips were obviously frozen. The main staff were rude and intimidating. Would not...

Visited at lunchtime with my brother last week. About half a dozen 'locals' enjoying a beer. The guy behind the bar was reasonably welcoming and the beer (Shepherd Neame's Spitfire) well kept and clear as a bell. Unfortunately we were overcharged at the first attempt, but the mistake was realised and quickly resolved. Interior was clean with excellent furnishing, which reflected the period and heritage of the pub. Lots of nooks and cosy areas for patrons to enjoy their drinks and soak up the atmosphere. The food looked good judging by what we saw being served. Unfortunately, a large group of mums with babes and toddlers arrived and occupied a corner, raising the noise level and making what was a quiet pint into a less relaxing experience. But they were quite rightly enjoying the pub in their own way. Overall a decent experience and certainly worth a...